The effect of Plagiorchis elegans cercariae on the vertical distribution of second, third, and fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti in the water column was studied in the laboratory. Under daytime conditions and in the absence of the parasite, larvae divided their time between the top and bottom of the water column. At night larvae spent the majority of their time at rest at the top of the column. In the presence of P. elegans cercariae larvae spent more time at rest at the surface under daytime conditions but increased their active time at the bottom under nighttime conditions. The presence of cercariae elicited escape and grooming responses and tended to reduce and fragment feeding activity.

Chaoborus americanus larvae were used in laboratory experiments to assess their efficiency at decreasing mosquito larval populations. Third and fourth instar Chaoborus americanus larvae were independently fed assemblages of single prey species to test hunger and several prey species to test preference. Prey species included Daphnia and the four Aedes aegypti larval instars. The results show that Chaoborus americanus larvae will choose early instar mosquito larvae over Daphnia, however, this preference decreases as the mosquito larvae become older. Third instar Chaoborus americanus larvae will choose first instar mosquito larvae over Daphnia 76% of the time, whereas they will select third instar mosquito larvae only 30% of the time. Fourth instar Chaoborus americanus larvae will choose first instar mosquito larvae 94% of the time, and select fourth instar mosquito larvae only 3% of the time. Crowding also has an effect on feeding times; individual Chaoborus larvae take more time to ingest their prey items than do individuals within a group. Chaoborus americanus larvae are good biological control agents within a laboratory setting.

The effects of food availability and the presence of the parasite, Plagiorchis elegans, on the probability of Aedes aegypti preimagos to transform from one immature stage to the next over consecutive 24- or 48-hour periods of time were determined. Under conditions of low food availability, 24- and 48-hr transition probabilities of all larval instars, to the next were reduced. Increases in food availability reversed this process, causing significant decreases in same-stage transition probabilities. However, as transition to successive stages increased among first, second, third and fourth instars, there was concomitant significant increase in first and fourth preimago mortality. Addition of Plagiorchis elegans cercariae caused significant decreases in the 24 and 48-hour same-state probabilities for all pre-imago stages. Successive stage transitions for first, second and third instars were significantly increased while those of fourth instars and pupae were significantly decreased following exposure to the parasites. The mortality of all preimago stages significantly increased with exposure to parasite, but was highest among fourth instars and pupae. There were strong food-by-parasite interaction effects among first, second and third instars. Differences in transition probabilities increased with increasing food levels between controlled and parasite-exposed groups. The opposite was true for fourth instars and pupae. While there was no significant interactive effect between food and the presence of the parasite on pupae regardless of food concentration, this was not true for mortality probabilities among fourth instars. Significantly more fourth instars died in response to parasite exposure and there were significant interactive effects of food and parasites on the probability of fourth instars transformation to pupae over 48 hrs.

The effects of food availability on the population structure of Aedes aegypti in the presence and absence of Plagiorchis elegans cercariae were studied in the laboratory. Under conditions of low food availability and in the absence of the parasite, larval population levels cycled at 40 day intervals. Cycles were initiated by the periodic build-up and decline of fourth instar larvae. These major competitors for food resources appear to be responsible for the release of a cascade of events which allowed the intermittent flow through of larvae from the first to the third instar. Under both optimal and suboptimal conditions of food availability, the introduction of high densities of P. elegans cercariae resulted in a decrease in the production of adult mosquitoes. Although the parasite reduced competition by preferentially removing fourth instar larvae and hastened the development of surviving instars, such survivors were exposed to the effects of the parasite as soon as they reached the fourth instar.

As water depth increased, fourth instar larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti required progressively more time to reach the pupal stage, more individuals died or were disabled and the resulting adults were significantly smaller. Water depth affected females more severely than males and the developmental time of larvae was affected more than adult mass. Time spent by fourth instar female larvae in the feeding zone during the first five hours predicted the time to subsequent pupation. Thereafter, mean feeding time was a determining factor of subsequent adult mass. With increasing water depth, both the prepupal resting period and mean time spent in the feeding zone per feeding bout increased, whereas behavior frequency (determined by an activity index) decreased.

In this study, predation efficiency of three guppy ( Poecilia reticulata) size classes was evaluated at various vegetation densities in a series of circular aquaria containing plastic plants closely resembling Ceratophyllum demersum. The effect of vegetation density was most apparent among large fish where predation efficiency greatly diminished from 12.35 mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti) to 4.68 as vegetation densities rose from 3 to 19 plants/700 cm2. Over that same range of increasing vegetation densities, predation among small fish remained unchanged, whereas among fish of intermediate size predation declined significantly but less precipitously than for large individuals. When presented with a choice between second and fourth mosquito larvae, small fish preferred to prey on second instars, whereas large fish preferred fourth instar larvae. Fish of intermediate size did not show a statistically significant preference. The functional response of fish to increasing prey densities, as measured over a 12-h period, was of Type III.

The effects of food availability and selective control of late instar larvae of Aedes aegypti on preimago population structure, mortality, adult abundance, sex ratios, and size of females were examined. Food availability i an important factor in determining preimago population structure and mortality. At optimal food availability more adults emerged, females were larger and in higher proportions than at suboptimal food availability. The effects of selective control on preimago population structure and post treatment larval mortality differed with food availability. At suboptimal food availability the type of control applied had a significant effect. Simulated pathogen-induced mortality resulted in a shift of the population to late instars and temporarily reduced density dependent mortality. The findings suggest that although both pathogens and predators reduce intraspecific competition by directly killing competitors, pathogens also provide an influx of food. Compensatory mortality may result from a reduction of intraspecific competition caused by biocontrol agents.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.